Friday, May 27, 2011

Southern Pearly Eye (Enodia portlandia)

Another butterfly sighting off the end of Anthony Shoals Road in the Broad River Wildlife Management Area in Wilkes County, Georgia. In mid-May, we saw this Southern Pearly Eye (Enodia portlandia) in a Sweetgum tree (Liquidambar styraciflua) near the clearing along the trail in the woods. I haven’t seen a Southern Pearly Eye since I photographed one in our woods in 2009. I’ve only seen these butterflies in deciduous woods and deep in the woods rather than at their margins..

The Southern Pearly Eye is one of two Enodia species found in Georgia. The other species which occurs throughout Georgia is the Creole Pearly Eye (Enodia creola). The underside of the wing of the Creole Pearly Eye has a slightly blue cast compared with the Southern Pearly Eye.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
Westcentral Georgia Butterflies by Michael Beohm:
- Southern Pearly Eye (Enodia portlandia)
- Creole Pearly Eye (Enodia creola)
BugGuide:
- Southern Pearly Eye (Enodia portlandia)
- Creole Pearly Eye (Enodia creola)

Related post:
- Southern Pearly-Eye (Enodia portlandia)
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2 comments:

  1. Nellie from Beyond My GardenMay 30, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    Thanks for the information and the photo.
    nellie

    ReplyDelete
  2. JSKMay 31, 2011 at 8:08 PM

    Glad you like it. These butterflies are supposed to be rare down here. I think they're a little more common but just not seen. You have to be in the right place at the right time - like everything else.

    ReplyDelete